Converting a tank from saltwater to freshwater?

[ryansmith83]

I've been looking for a used tank and found a great deal on Craigslist. The problem is that it's been used for saltwater and I want to use it for freshwater. The tank looks pretty gross in the pictures and the seller says it's cheap because it needs to be cleaned. The glass looks really hazy in the pics.

Is there anything I should know before jumping on the deal? Can a salt tank be cleaned up easily and used for freshwater? Is it going to leech salt for months to come? I heard they do that.

Opinions and thoughts are appreciated!

 

[bcfd144]

Ive taken several old saltwater tanks and made them freshwater. Just wash with hot hot water only. and rinse well.
you should be ok

 

[JK47]

Hey Ryan! Go snatch it up if its a good deal. Vinegar is your best freind for getting all that old salt and algae. Since its glass you can carefully use a razorblade as well to scrape anything too hard. If you check my overhaul thread I show a few ways to clean up a marine tank. Its super easy. Leeching salt is something I have never had an issue with, even the small amount that could disolve into the water column is not toxic because of dilution alone. Just clean the places it can accumulate (inside overflow towers at the bottom is usually the worst) smells too lol

 

[David K. Bradley]

ryansmith83: GRAB THAT TANK! DON'T PASS IT UP! ARE YOU NUTS? WHAT A BARGAIN!!!

Saltwater tanks can and have been converted into freshwater tanks. Salt leaching into a converted tank is somewhat of an old myth, per se. Once the tank has been thoroughly washed out with FRESH CLEAN HOT WATER ONLY, it will be useable for a freshwater tank if the haziness is not real bad.

You expressed a concern for the haziness of the tank. It's an easy but time consuming task. If it does not all come out with just plain fresh hot water, you can go back a second time and clean with a 2:1 solution of DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR (2 parts) and HOT WATER (1 part). I usually use two quarts of vinegar and one quart of hot water.

Make certain you do this in a well ventilated area as the fumes, when the hot water is added can and will be overbearing for your lungs and sinuses. If you can, doing it outdoors is ideal or in an open garage, as close to the bay door as posssible. You can use a teflon scratch pad or a hard backed razor blade on the glass, but caution should be used around the seam seals, and preferrably a cleaning wrag on the seams of the tank, so as not to damage the sealed seams.

Once all of the cloudiness has been removed, thoroughly rinse the entire tank with fresh clean rinse water, two to three times. Once it is dried off on the outside (and inside if you wish), your ready to set it up for your fish.

I hope this helps you with your purchase. It's not really hard to do, just a bit time consuming. Good Luck.

~David

 

[ryansmith83]

Thanks for the replies! That's what I was hoping to hear. I'm picking the tank up on Monday. 150 gallon drilled with dual overflows with a 30 gallon wet/dry, stand, lights, and all the hoses for $250. He ran it as a salt tank for 3 years but needed something wider, so he upgraded to a 180. The only reason he's selling it is because his wife wants it off their porch.